The DOI matches its Crossref record; 41 of the 41 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A Neural Switch for Active and Passive Fear
Open accessAbstract
The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) serves as a major output of this structure and plays a critical role in the expression of conditioned fear. By combining cell- and tissue-specific pharmacogenetic inhibition with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we identified circuits downstream of CeA that control fear expression in mice. Selective inhibition of a subset of neurons in CeA led to decreased conditioned freezing behavior and increased cortical arousal as visualized by fMRI. Correlation analysis of fMRI signals identified functional connectivity between CeA, cholinergic forebrain nuclei, and activated cortical structures, and cortical arousal was blocked by cholinergic antagonists. Importantly, inhibition of these neurons switched behavioral responses to the fear stimulus from passive to active responses. Our findings identify a neural circuit in CeA that biases fear responses toward either passive or active coping strategies.
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In the citing paper
“In addition, flexibly shifting between freezing and active defensive modes is critical for adequate stress-coping and relies on fronto-amygdala connections.”
From Freeze for action: neurobiological mechanisms in animal and human freezing (2017) · cites this paper as [41]
In the citing paper
“Projections of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in particular to the CE of the amygdala in turn facilitate rapid shifting between passive and active defence modes [41,62].”
From Freeze for action: neurobiological mechanisms in animal and human freezing (2017) · cites this paper as [41]
In the citing paper
“The amygdala plays a key role in defensive behaviour and switching between defensive modes in rodents [39–42].”
From Freeze for action: neurobiological mechanisms in animal and human freezing (2017) · cites this paper as [41]
In the citing paper
“All defense responses in the animal model of the defense cascade—arousal, freezing, flight or fight, tonic immobility, collapsed immobility, and quiescent immobility—are responses to threat mediated by neural circuits involving the extended amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), ventral pontine tegmentum, ventral and dorsal medulla, and spinal cord.22–25”
From Fear and the Defense Cascade (2015) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“the amygdala in mediating fear responses and the PFC in attention, these brain areas are critical nodes in adaptation and responses to stress (Belujon and Grace, 2011; Gozzi et al., 2010; McGaugh, 2004; Sapolsky, 2000; Tottenham and Sheridan, 2009).”
From Acetylcholine as a Neuromodulator: Cholinergic Signaling Shapes Nervous System Function and Behavior (2012) · cites this paper as Gozzi et al., 2010
Citations
Cites
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The Amygdaloid Complex: Anatomy and Physiology
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–208 of 208
Defensive Freezing and the Evolutionary Origins of Meditation in Humans
Black, D. S., & Reed, P. (2026) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.70249
The neural circuitry of fear conditioning : a theoretical account
Angelhuber, M. (2016) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/df1f8188z8908z4025zaa82z92507ac9751b
Role of the type-1 cannabinoid receptor in the control of water intake
Zhao, Z. (2019) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/ca103186z8d92z4d94zaf67zcce657f39cd1
Cannabinoid Control of Fear Responses
Landgraf, N. F., Sangroniz-Beltrán, L., Ceprián, M., Reyes-Velásquez, P. A., Huguet, J. E., & Gómez, E. S. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-12239-1_6
Effects of intranasal oxytocin on fear, pain and aversive memory
Silva, J. U., & Brito, I. (2026) · Neuropeptides · doi:10.1016/j.npep.2026.102618
Freezing as a measure of fear: sex differences and implications for preclinical research
Sun, Y., Sun, Y., Wang, R., Xu, Z., & Foggetti, A. (2026) · Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2026.101282 · Cited by 1
Metadata
- Authors
- Gozzi, A., Jain, A., Giovanelli, A., Bertollini, C., Crestan, V., Schwarz, A. J., Tsetsenis, T., Ragozzino, D., Gross, C. T., & Bifone, A.
- Affiliations
- GlaxoSmithKline (Italy) (IT)
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (IT)
- University of L'Aquila (IT)
- Istituto Pasteur (IT)
- Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Gross, Cornelius T.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Neuron
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-08
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 656-666
- ISSN
- 0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2009342550
- Cited by
- 209
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 9.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (vor, 1117 d)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-017 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-012 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-004 (stm-asf)
- Locations
- Neuron (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) (submittedVersion)
- Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion)
- Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi dell Aquila (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- central amygdala, fear conditioning, fear expression, cortical arousal, neural circuits, conditioned freezing, anticholinergic agents, functional connectivity
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Adaptation, Psychological, Amygdala, Animals, Blood Volume, Brain, Cerebrovascular Circulation, Conditioning, Classical, Fear, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Mice, Inbred CBA, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Models, Neurological, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Oxytocin, Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A, Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic, Mice, Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists, Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Antagonists, In Vitro Techniques
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